


Sparks Fly

by AgentOfShip



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Firefighters, F/M, Jemma Simmons Has No Chill, Strangers to Lovers, high fitz, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:21:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26065675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentOfShip/pseuds/AgentOfShip
Summary: Jemma, ex-volunteer firefighter and fire investigator, saves a man from the fire in the engineering firm he's working for. Turns out that on top of being very grateful, he's sweet, handsome and very interesting. Now, she just has to do her job and hope he's not a criminal. Written for AU August.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 47
Kudos: 98
Collections: AOS AU August 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to Libbyweasley for her help plotting this, her brilliant idea and making my words better :)  
> Three chapters planned, rating may stray towards E depending on my inspiration when writing the next chapters (I'll change it accordingly whenever I know)

Jemma woke up to the smell of smoke and burning chemicals. Her instincts kicked in and she practically jumped out of bed. A quick look around told her that it didn't come from inside but slipped through the open window of her bedroom. There was a fire in the building on the other side of the street on the second floor. It looked like it was in the biomedical engineering firm so at least, given that it was almost midnight, it was probably empty. Jemma knew because she'd noticed their plaque at the entrance of the building and sometimes found herself looking towards it when she drank her tea on the balcony. They had to be doing very interesting research and development there. 

Jemma quickly grabbed her phone from her bedside table and alerted the fire brigade immediately. The street was deserted so it was perfectly possible that no one had called them yet. She'd just turned the light on —she wasn't going back to sleep until the fire was under control anyway— when she noticed something, movement at one of the windows. She looked more closely and there it was again. There was someone in there and they seemed trapped. The fire was growing rapidly, the flames licking the third floor already and spreading on both sides. 

"The one night I get to go to sleep early," Jemma thought as she sighed and ran to her dresser to change into her fireproof trousers, vest and shoes she'd always kept at home even though she’d worked as an investigator and hadn't been in the field for more than three years. She wasn't equipped to go in but she could still get closer and communicate with that person at the very least, tell them what to do as they waited for the firemen. Given the time of night, Jemma couldn't eliminate the possibility that the person wasn't supposed to be there but whoever they were, they didn't deserve to die like that. 

Quickly grabbing her keys from the living room table, Jemma ran downstairs and quickly crossed the street. Her eyes widened when she noticed the man had opened one of the windows and had one leg over the ledge. 

"Don't do that!" Jemma screamed at him. It wasn't such a long way down but he could still break his legs or even his neck if he didn't fall properly. 

"I'll die if I stay here!" Jemma thought she noticed a Scottish accent under the sheer terror in his voice.

"I called the fire department, they'll be here any minute now!" 

"It's not like I want to jump! It’s getting really hot and I burned my hand already!"

There was still no sound of the fire truck's siren, his hand didn't look pretty and the fire was spreading worryingly fast. Deciding to follow her instinct, Jemma looked around for a solution and let out a sigh of relief as she noticed a big dumpster on the side of the building. That would have to do. 

"Then wait just a second!" And with that she ran to the dumpster and started pushing it. She groaned as she cursed herself for not going to the gym as often as before. But if it was heavy, at least it meant it was probably full and would cushion his fall quite well. 

She placed it as close to him as possible and pulled the lid open. "Now jump! Try to fall on your back and aim for the center!" she cried out. To his credit, he only looked disgusted and hesitant for about a second before sliding his other leg over the window. He gave her one last look and she smiled encouragingly. It really wasn't the best solution but that was all they had for now and if it was a chemical fire as she suspected, there were probably more chemicals waiting to explode when the fire reached them. Jemma held her breath as he jumped and only released it as he fell on his back right in the middle of the bin just like she'd told him. 

Jemma rushed to help him out, a little laugh escaping her mouth despite herself as he grunted and groaned. Climbing out of a dumpster bin wasn't the most graceful thing in the world. 

"How do you feel?" Jemma asked when he was up on his feet and facing her. 

"Ah…um…okay," he just said. He was obviously not a burglar of some sort at least, with his shirt that had once been blue and smart trousers. He still looked a little terrified but also groggy and his eyes, a deep shade of blue that contrasted with the soot on his face, were a little unfocused. She noticed a little bit of blood on the side of his temple. Jemma frowned. 

"Do you have trouble breathing? Do you feel nauseous? Is your head spinning?" 

He wasn't looking straight at her and Jemma had to take his face in her hands to make him look down at her. 

"Did you hear me?" she insisted. 

"Uh…yeah…uh…all of it?"

"I'm Jemma, what's your name?" 

"I don't uh…I don't feel so good, Jemma," he said, his eyes losing focus again. Jemma just had the time to brace herself as he fell forward, his body heavier than it looked as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Jemma knocked on the door and waited a few seconds before walking in. There was a nurse tending to Mr Fitz's hand injury. Once the wound was cleaned, his burn wasn't as bad as Jemma had thought when she first saw it but it extended higher towards his arm.

"Hello Mr Fitz, I'm Jemma Simmons, I—"

"Jemmaaaa!" he cut her off, his smile threatening to split his face in two despite the frown that had been adorning his face a second ago.

"Do you feel good enough to answer a few questions? I work for the fire department as an investi—"

"I don't think it's a good time to ask anything of him. I just—" the nurse started but Fitz cut her off. 

"Of course I do, anything for my savior."

Jemma couldn't help smiling. All she had done was move a dumpster and take care of him when he passed out, but it was still nice to be appreciated. The nurse shook her head in amusement. 

"I can finish this," Jemma said, stepping closer to the nurse. "I did my share of burn bandages back in the day."

The young woman shrugged and handed Jemma a pair of gloves. She had to be busy and not one to refuse saving a little time. 

"So Mr. Fitz, like I said I'm Jemma Simmons and I work as a fire investigator for the fire department."

"Just Fitz," he said. 

"Alright, Fitz, I have questions about what happened last night and—"

"You're even prettier today," he cut her off, his smile practically ecstatic now. And for the first time since she'd walked in, she took the time to study him a little closer. His eyes looked even bluer in the sunlight filtering through the window and he had to be the only person in the world whose hospital gown was actually flattering. His hair was a dark blond and adorably curly, and overall his face was really quite pleasant. His pupils looked rather dilated though as if— Oh. Now she understood why the nurse didn't think it was a good idea to ask him questions now.

"Well thank you, Fitz," Jemma said with a smile as she moved closer and started applying gel on his burn. Thankfully, it looked like it was only a second degree burn and it hadn't touched his fingers or palm. He should be able to use his hand again quickly. After all, it would have been a shame with his hands being so lovely and elegant. "So, were you by any chance given some sort of painkiller?"

"Oh yeah, it's amazing! I don't feel a thing!"

"I can see that." He wasn't even flinching as she bandaged his hand. 

"Well except that I'm hungry and your hair looks like chocolate. I could just eat it!” he declared before frowning. “I don't think it'd be very nutritious though."

Jemma burst out laughing. This was by far the most awkward flirting that had ever been directed at her, and at the same time it was kind of adorable. Plus, she appreciated a man who could use words like "nutritious" while high on pain meds. Jemma finished bandaging his hand while he looked at her with an awed expression that made her cheeks heat up. His pupils might be blown wide by the pain meds but he still had an intense gaze and his attention was...flattering.

"Alright, I'm going to let you rest and I'll come back later to ask you more questions." 

"No, no, no, I feel fine. You don't have to leave."

Jemma gave him a gentle smile. "I'm afraid it wouldn't be professional of me to ask you questions when you're in such a state." 

He frowned, obviously not realizing the state he was in. "No, I'm alright, ask me anything. I'm Fitz, 30 years old. I'm a biomedical engineer, I'm originally from Glasgow but graduated from Cambridge and…uh…" 

Well, that was a lovely and very interesting online dating profile but not what Jemma was here for. 

"My questions are more about what happened last night," Jemma said and he frowned, confirming that between the pain meds, him passing out because of the shock, the smoke and his head injury, things weren't quite as clear in his head as Jemma might need it to be. "Like I said I'm a fire investigator and I'm here to determine if it was an accident or…something else."

"Oh…" He looked sad for a moment. "But I love the lab, I would never do something to destroy it, not intentionally. I was sure I had it right but I must have made a mistake..." 

"I'm sure you wouldn't, but in the meantime I'll have to examine the scene and come back when you're out of the hospital." 

"Oh…alright then." That seemed to satisfy him as he gave her a soft smile and his eyes started to drift closed already. 

Jemma shook her head in amusement and quietly left the room, throwing away her gloves before walking towards the exit. She had no way to be sure of his innocence for now, even if people high on pain meds --or anything else-- were usually quite truthful, but she really hoped he was. He was too interesting to be a criminal.


	2. Chapter 2

Jemma huffed as she stood up and finally stepped out of the room, her sample bags carefully labelled and safe in their protective case. It had taken days for the place to be secured and even then, she'd had to crawl to get some of the samples. In cases like this, it was an advantage to be as small as she was but she still wished there was some other way of getting samples without having to wait so long or take risks. Some sort of robot maybe. She was the fire investigator with the highest percentage of cases resolved and the lowest average time to resolve them, she had a reputation to uphold. And she was also maybe a little anxious to confirm it had been an accident and Mr. Fitz hadn't caused the fire voluntarily. She had been disappointed by men and humans in general too many times but she really hoped her instinct was good this time and that he was just as interesting and sweet as he seemed. 

She still had some sample analysis to do but she already knew where the fire had started, on the right side of the room where there used to be a lab bench. She also had a good idea of what the chemicals she found there were. Which was a little worrying because this place being an engineering firm, she couldn't see a reason for them to be working with dangerous and, when mixed, explosive chemicals. 

Jemma brought back her findings in her small mobile lab and had all her samples analyzed within half an hour —she wasn't the best, fastest fire investigator for nothing— and the confirmation of what she suspected must have caused the fire. Really, Fitz was lucky only his hand had been burned and not his beautiful face.

With those results on her tablet, she went back up to The Playground, a rather good name for an innovative engineering firm, and went straight to the CEO's office. Somehow, despite having pretty much destroyed Fitz's lab and how impressive it had looked from the outside, the fire had completely spared the rest of their offices. And after many structural integrity checks, they'd all come back to work, except for Fitz who didn't have a lab and was still recovering from his injury. 

"Come in," Mr Coulson said and welcomed her with a genuine smile and a handshake.

"I'm Jemma Simmons, I work for the fire department as an investigator and I—"

"Oh, you're the hero, aren't you?"

Jemma felt her cheeks heat up at being called that, especially by someone she had never met before.

"Oh, I don't know if I—" 

"Oh but you saved our Fitz and we've heard all about you. Of course you are." 

She scrunched up her nose but couldn't help smiling. She was awfully tempted to ask exactly what he'd heard about her but it wouldn't have been very professional. 

"Well, I did what anyone would have done in this situation but thank you. So would you mind answering a few questions for the investigation?"

"Of course. Please, take a seat." He gestured towards the comfortable looking chair on the other side of his desk. 

"First of all, can you tell me what Mr. Fitz was—"

"It's Doctor," Coulson cut her off with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, he insists on that." 

Jemma chuckled. That she could understand. 

"Alright then. What was Dr. Fitz working on? I understand you're an engineering company so I'm trying to make sense of what I have found that caused the fire."

"Oh, it's brilliant. It's this set of data retrieving drones. He's managed to miniaturize them to a point I wouldn't have thought possible. They're so discreet you'd think it's a big insect. The police and fire department have already expressed their interest in the technology."

Oh. That did sound very promising even if it was half as good as Mr. Coulson seemed to believe. 

"Alright, but what does it have to do with the pentane and acetone that I found in rather large quantities in his lab." 

"Oh, right," Mr. Coulson said with a fond shake of his head as if she'd told him she found his secret sweet stash. "He's in the last phase of testing the drones and he wanted to see how Sneezy was doing with different kinds of chemicals, especially the flammable ones. Ironically to help firemen use the right techniques in case of a fire. I told him he should consult with a chemist but those geniuses, you know how they are. Always says he can't trust anyone else with his toys." 

That was a weird thing to say. Like she was supposed to come across a lot of geniuses at the fire department. But she actually knew what he meant. After all, she'd gotten her PhD before she turned eighteen so she probably qualified as a genius herself. And she didn't like people she didn't know messing with her experiments either. Also, if Fitz was anything like her, he probably didn't like his inventions being called toys. 

"Alright, pentane and acetone are indeed flammable and obviously very dangerous. It's just… you don't seem very mad about it even though I suppose you wanted him to consult to avoid exactly that. I mean, he burnt down his lab and it's a miracle the whole floor didn't burn with it."

Mr. Coulson laughed as he shook his head. "Not a miracle, a very ingenious security system and protocols Fitz helped design. I just wish he'd left the room when the fire started rather than risk his life for his prototype." 

"Oh no, did he lose everything?" 

"All the plans are on the online server and the other prototypes are in the safe. He might be building one at home as we speak instead of resting as he should. He probably lost just a few days worth of work, could have been worse." Jemma nodded. They all seemed very prepared. Maybe a little bit too much. "And to answer your question, Fitz is the best we've got. His ideas get us the biggest contracts. Even if he had indeed burned the whole place down, I would still keep him with the company."

Jemma raised her eyebrows. Either Mr. Coulson had a tendency for exaggeration or Fitz was even more interesting than she'd first imagined. 

"And we have really good insurance anyway."

"About that…" 

He gave her a knowing smile.

"I contracted it ten years ago when I opened our first offices. When you call your company The Playground and hire young, very enthusiastic and creative geniuses, you make sure to be prepared for everything."

* * *

After a little research, it turned out that everything Mr. Coulson had said was true. The company was very successful so there would be no reason to try and burn it down to get the insurance money. And even if there was, you'd think a genius would find a way to do it better and without ending up being almost killed by it. And as most of the tech that had made it to magazines and science journals had Fitz's name on it, the company owed Fitz a lot of its success. Her research had even shown that the police and some fire brigades already used some of The Playground's technologies. In fact, the one thing that surprised her at first was that, with his intelligence and talent, Fitz could probably have his own company and make a lot more money in other sectors. The military paid much better than the police or fire department for instance. But except for a few inventions that were for entertainment purposes, all of his creations were designed to help save or protect lives. Like the mouse hole for instance, able to cut through metal to help getting people out of turned over cars in record time.

But even with all these informations in mind, Jemma tried to remain objective as she drove to Dr. Fitz's apartment to get his version of the events before concluding her investigation. No one was really that perfect. He had to have some flaws.

Parking in front of the very fancy building Fitz apparently lived in, Jemma adjusted her high ponytail in the rearview mirror and left her fire brigade jacket on the backseat. The weather was nice enough not to wear one and it only had a little to do with how flattering her shirt was.

A wide smile illuminated Fitz's face when he saw her on the other side of the door. 

"Inspector Simmons, it's nice to see you again."

"And it's nice to see—"

"Or is it Detective? I'm not very familiar with the terminology."

"It's actually Doctor but Inspector is fine too." He raised an interested eyebrow. "I'll explain another time. I mean I'm here for work purposes today so I shouldn't be…um…" She should just stop explaining herself but he wasn't making things easy for her with those very pretty blue eyes looking at her like that. Like what she was saying was fascinating when she had just mentioned she had a PhD.

"Anyway, do you feel good enough to answer some questions today?" 

The amused smile that had started to form on his lips faded and was replaced by a slight blush when he was reminded of the state he'd been in the last time they talked.

Great, now she'd embarrassed him too.

But he didn't seem to mind too much as he just ducked his head and cleared his throat before his soft smile reappeared. 

"Of course," he said, gesturing for her to walk in. "I was just about to make tea, do you want some?" 

"Sure." 

"Sit down, I'll be right back." 

As he busied himself with making tea, Jemma took the time to look around. Coulson must be cherishing him indeed. The main room was huge with tall bay windows and a nice balcony overlooking the city. The decor was tasteful and quite unique, mixing reproductions of Leonardo Da Vinci's drawings, posters of space and quite an abundance of monkeys in all forms. She was pretty sure she spied a Tardis on his desk too. She was tempted to stand up and investigate further but that would have had nothing to do with her investigation and everything with her personal interest for him. So she just stayed put. The couch she was sitting on was incredibly comfy though, the kind you never wanted to stand up from and where you could easily fall asleep, especially with a nice, solid shoulder to rest your head or a strong pair of arms wrapped around you, bringing you closer to—

"There you go!" Jemma startled as Fitz deposited the tray on the coffee table and Fitz grinned as he noticed it. "Looked like you went pretty far there," he added and Jemma felt her cheeks heat up. There was no such thing as mind-reading, was there?

"I was just…um…thinking about the investigation."

"Of course," he replied, hesitating a second before sitting on the armchair on the other side. 

"So, I have determined the cause of the fire and talked to your boss already so I just need your version of the events now."

"Ah well, this is embarrassing really. I was testing this data retrieving drone I'm working on and I probably shouldn't have been working so late but I was on a roll so I drank a lot of coffee, which again not my best idea, and carried on. Anyway, I was testing it with pentane and I set a very small quantity on fire to see how the drone was doing when there was smoke. But I accidentally knocked the acetone vial and it fell on it. There was a very high flame that touched my jacket and after that I kind of lost control. I should have left immediately but I wanted to save the prototype and make sure the security protocol was in place so that the fire wouldn't spread to the rest of the building. But it spread so quickly that I found myself stuck and well, you the rest of the story." 

"Ah yes, of course. But if it is the security protocol you created, why did you need to check if it was in place?"

"I came up with most of it but I didn't install it and I…um...I didn't necessarily trust the people who did it to do it right." He winced as he tilted his head to the side. "Makes me kind of an arse, doesn't it?" 

"Ah no… I don't know, maybe just a little? But a nice one though," she said with a tentative smile and he chuckled. 

"You're being too nice with me." 

"No, but I understand the idea. Sometimes, if you want things done right, you just have to do them yourself." 

"Right?!" 

Jemma laughed before taking a sip of her tea. It was delicious, perfectly brewed and just the right temperature. 

"So, you actually knew what you were doing with those chemicals, you just needed more sleep and less caffeine?" 

"You sound just like my mum," he grumbled but there was no bite to it. "But yeah, you're right." 

Jemma nodded and took a few notes on her tablet. 

"Well, seems like I have everything I need," she said and she was pretty sure he looked just as disappointed as she felt.

"Oh…but you have to finish your tea at least!" 

"Oh. It _would_ be too bad to let it go to waste. It's really delicious."

He smiled as he reached for his cup, his eyes never leaving hers making her cheeks heat up. He was attractive yes but he wasn't all that intimidating so why did it make her feel like a schoolgirl with a crush when he looked at her? She cleared her throat and straightened up like the professional adult woman that she was. They might be having tea together but since she had no more questions about the investigation, she was, at least, going to keep the conversation about science.

"Did it work by the way? Your experiment with the drone?" 

"Yes! Better than I expected." Fitz's face lit up adorably at the mention of the drone and he stood up. "I can show you. I have one prototype here, some videos and all the designs!" He trailed off. 

"I mean… if that's something you would be interested in and uh… just to give you time to finish your tea." 

"Of course. I'd love to see it."

Fitz beamed at her. 

"Great. And then you can tell me why I should call you doctor." 

All kinds of scenarios where he would call her Doctor flashed before her eyes and all of them made her blush. The curse of an hyperactive brain, an inexistent social life and his decision to bend over to retrieve his laptop in its case on the ground. Very nice arse indeed. Jemma shook her head and forced herself to look up at his face before he noticed the direction of her gaze. It didn't get much better when he sat next to her on the couch, filling her senses with the delicate scent of his cologne and the warmth of his body as his thigh brushed hers. 

Keep the conversation strictly about science. Nothing personal.

"Of course," she said. 

It was another hour before Jemma left Fitz's apartment having given way too much personal information about herself and knowing more than she should about him. And it would have been longer if it wasn't for her colleague texting her and asking if everything was alright given that she should have been back to the office already. Just as she had feared, Fitz was not only very smart and attractive but he was also sweet and funny in an awkward kind of way. And even his grumpy side was quite endearing, although he barely showed it to her, looking positively fascinated by everything she had to say, whether it was about her training, her current job or her childhood.

"Alright, well thank you for the tea and the lovely conversation," Jemma said as he escorted her to the door. 

"You're very welcome." 

"I'll..uh… let you know as soon as the investigation is over."

"Yes! Yes, I would like that, yes." He was rocking back and forth on his heels, looking a little uncomfortable and not making a move to open the door. 

"Was there something else you wanted to tell me?" 

"Ah no… I mean yes, it's just… Could we agree to forget about that time at the hospital? I wasn't myself. It was like my brain had no filter and it was very embarrassing."

His face had turned an interesting shade of red and he was biting his lip rather enticingly. But what Jemma thought was the most interesting thing was that, by asking her to forget about it all, he had actually confirmed that he meant the words he'd said then. So feeling bold, Jemma gave him a bright smile.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. That was adorable and I usually like to remember when a handsome man gives me compliments."


	3. Chapter 3

Jemma smiled contentedly as she pressed enter, synchronizing the database with the report she'd just finished and automatically sending a copy to the police. A job well done as always. She stretched her arms over her head and fell back into her chair, allowing herself a minute to rest before calling it a day. It was six already. She'd woken up at six, had her morning run, spent a long day at work and only had time for a tiny sandwich for lunch. She should probably go home, change into her PJs and sink into the couch with a nice dinner and a movie. But another, specific couch was calling out to her. It wasn't _that_ late. And she did promise to tell him when the investigation was over. She would still have time for dinner after that and if he happened to have just made tea, and didn't want to drink it alone, it was only polite of her to accept his invitation. 

Mind made up, Jemma stood up, grabbed her jacket and handbag and closed her office. She made a quick detour by the bathroom to freshen up. She touched up her lipstick and took out the messy bun she had made on the top of her head. She threaded her fingers through her hair and smiled at the result. Wearing a messy bun all afternoon had somehow created soft waves she couldn't hope to achieve on purpose and, even in this ugly neon lighting, her warm highlights showed nicely. After quickly adjusting the straps of her bra and the lacy neckline of her blouse, she gave herself an encouraging smile and left the bathroom. 

Downstairs, tonight's on call team played cards as they waited for the siren to sound. It wasn't often that they had time for a break like that while on duty and all eyes turned to her as her heels clicked on the floor and resonated through the whole room.

Daisy whistled as she gave her a once over. 

"Looking good babe, you didn't tell me you had a date tonight?"

"I don't," Jemma answered, feeling her cheeks grow hot under her colleague's scrutiny. 

"Well, where are you going dressed like that?" 

"Nowhere!" Jemma answered too quickly, earning herself a lot of raised eyebrows. It wasn't like she had to answer their questions, she could just say goodnight and walk away. But she still felt the compulsion to do so. "Just home…I-I just have to make a quick detour to tell someone his case is closed and he's no longer a suspect."

There was a synchronized "oh" of realization and Jemma thought she was missing something. It couldn't possibly be _that_ obvious. She was always working on several cases at the same time.

"Could it be Mr. Fitz, the very smart, very cute guy whose life you saved?" Mack asked with a glint in his eyes. If _he_ got in on the gossip, she was truly done for.

"Oh right, the one who wants to eat your…hair?" Hunter added with a sly smile. 

"Daisy!" Jemma whined.

"What? It was a very cute story."

"So?" Mack insisted. 

"Yes, that's the one," Jemma answered with a sigh. 

"But you could just call him."

"He's not answering his phone."

"You could leave a message." Mack's smile was growing with every one of her answers.

"Well, anyway I…uh… He's working on a project my department is very interested in and he wanted to talk to me about it some more. And it's much easier to do it face to face." God, she really was a terrible liar wasn't she?

"What?" Hunter asked, sly smile back in full force. "His project of getting into your pants? Cause it doesn't _have_ to be face to face, you know. Actually, I find that—"

"Ugh! Just mind your own business," Jemma cut him off and walked past them towards the exit.

"If nothing else works, offer to give him mouth to mouth lessons, always works for me!" Hunter cried out after her. 

"Use protection," Daisy added, her voice practically drowned in the childish laughter of her other colleagues. It wasn't like something like that was going to happen. She was just hoping that between the two of them geniuses, they'd manage to end the evening having agreed on a date in the near future. But apparently, the safety of her district had been entrusted to a bunch of immature teenagers.

* * *

"Twice in two days! What do I owe the pleasure, Inspector?" 

His eyes travelled discreetly up and down her body before coming back to her face and it made her wonder if maybe she should have done up one more button on her blouse. But she decided it was an encouraging sign instead and gave him a bright smile. 

"Keeping you updated about the case as I said I would. And since it's officially been labelled an accident and the case is closed, you don't need to call me Inspector now."

"Just Doctor then?" he said with a teasing smile.

"If you want…but my friends call me Jemma." 

"Jemma it is then. D-did you..um…" Come on, invite me in. "I mean I… It was nice of you to come and tell me in person."

"No problem. It was on my way." It wasn't at all. 

Fitz smiled softly but didn't say more as he played with the fingers of his left hand in a nervous gesture she'd already noticed the previous day. And that was when she realized she didn't know how to keep the conversation going without outright asking him out. Which she technically could do since they were both adults, obviously attracted to each other and he was no longer the subject of an investigation. She really wished she had as good an excuse as the one she gave her colleagues. 

"How's your hand? I forgot to ask you about your hand yesterday." Not exactly flirting but it was more personal at least so that was something.

"Oh! It's alright. It's itching a bit but it's healing nicely." He lifted it up and flexed his fingers in front of his face a few times. "See? I can use all my fingers now." 

"That's really good, Fitz," she said. "Because with you being an engineer, I'm sure you need to use your hands a lot." 

Yeah, because if he had any other job, he would probably be fine not being able to use his hands ever again. Seriously, what was going on with her brain? She couldn't let herself be distracted by a nice pair of hands and eyes so easily.

Fitz nodded and smiled and, maybe it was just wishful thinking, but she thought he wanted to say something too, his mouth opening and closing a few times, but couldn't find the courage to do it.

"Air currents!" Jemma blurted out suddenly.

"I'm sorry, what?" 

Oh right. She'd been thinking about him, about his drones as she went to sleep the previous night and had thought of a feature he could add to his drones just as she was drifting off. She'd completely forgotten about it until now. 

"Air currents. I-I was thinking about your drones and how useful they'd be on the field and I was wondering if they could pick up air currents in a given room. Because that would be very useful to determine the path of a fire and its origin."

"Oh." Fitz's face lit up and she could almost see the cogs in his brain turning. "Jemma, you're not...um...on the clock or anything?"

"Ah no. I'm done for today." Heat rose in the back of her neck and she chastised herself for it. She had no reason to be nervous or embarrassed about it. If she wanted things to move forward, it was a good thing that Fitz knew she was doing this as an obvious excuse to see him. But she couldn't help herself stuttering anyway. "I-I just thought- and it was on my way anyway—"

"Jemma, would you like to talk about it over a glass of wine?" Fitz cut her off, smile warm but a little tentative.

Jemma beamed. 

"I'd love to."

* * *

"So I wouldn't even need to add any new components inside the drones."

"No!" Jemma replied excitedly. "Just use the sensors inside Sneezy, Prof and Dopey, combine the information and it will give you a layout of all the air currents in the room." 

"Brilliant," Fitz breathed out, looking up from the computer and she suddenly realized how close they were. Their thighs and shoulders were touching and his face was so close she could smell the wine on his breath. She had only hoped her idea would be a starting point and an excuse to spend more time with him and get to know him better. But Fitz was brilliant and different from anyone else she knew and this was so much better than any typical first date conversation. It had been a long time since she'd had such an exciting conversation about science. Her colleagues weren't usually as thrilled as she was to discover how one specific fire behaved and how it could be explained. They were just interested in stopping it. 

As they let themselves be carried away by the conversation, the sun had set without them noticing and now the only light in the room came from the small lamp at the end of the couch, making Fitz’s eyes sparkle and his curls turn to gold. His eyes drifted lower for a second before coming back up, looking at her with an expression that managed to be somehow sweet and indecent at the same time. Jemma felt a zing of electricity course through her.

"You truly are a savior, you know. Saving my life and then my project."

She laughed.

"Don't be silly. Your drones were brilliant to begin with. I just suggested an extra feature." 

"Alright, you made it better. But you're still a savior. I meant that the other day."

"Did you?" she asked, shamelessly batting her eyelashes at him. 

"Yes." He turned more fully towards her.

"What else did you mean?"

"Your hair does look like chocolate." He reached for her face and gently pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. The brush of his fingers against her cheek sent a shiver down her spine and she let out a throaty chuckle. 

"I wouldn't eat it though. And you looked very pretty that day too."

Jemma bit her lip. His hand had descended and was now resting on her shoulder. It was nice and warm and she never wanted him to take it off. 

"You look even prettier today though. Almost as if you've dressed up on purpose…" His voice was lower and there was a teasing smile at the corner of his lips.

"I'd say the same about you but you looked surprisingly handsome in that hospital gown. Brings out your eyes." 

"Oh no…that's what I should have worn today then. Would have been a little awkward when I went to the grocery store what with the open back and everything. But that would have been worth it."

Jemma grinned. 

"I wouldn't have minded the open back." She reached up to adjust his collar then let her hand rest on his chest. His heart was beating fast. "But this is also a nice shirt." 

"And did I tell you the other day that you are the smartest person I've ever met?"

"You didn't."

"Well, I should have because your brain is the most wonderful thing. Really, you're the first person I could see myself working with. In fact—"

The rest of his words were mumbled against her lips as she captured his in a kiss. He was all kinds of wonderful but, apparently, he didn't know when to stop talking and move forward. She was more than happy to take the lead. 

Fitz caught up quickly though and the hand on her shoulder slipped into her hair while the other settled on her waist. His lips were soft and warm as they moved against hers and they tasted of wine. It was gentle and perfect and it made her skin tingle with anticipation. They broke the kiss much too soon for her taste and she let out a tiny whimper. But when she looked up into his eyes, they were completely dark and his lips slightly parted.

Their lips met in the middle this time and she moaned as he deepened the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck and into his curls. She was so happy it made her feel dizzy. And it wasn't just because she hadn't kissed anyone in a long time or because he was so good at it —although he was— it was all of him. He was the smartest, sweetest, most handsome man. She hadn't wanted something or someone that much in a long time and, somehow, he wanted her too. And he knew just how to show it. Incredibly so.

At some point, his knee had slipped between her legs in a bid to get closer as they still sat next to each other but as delicious as it was, it was also uncomfortable and really not enough. Just as she was wondering if it was a sign that they should stop there —it wasn't even their first date after all— his wandering hands just lightly brushed the side of her breast. Jemma groaned and her body made the decision for her. Not breaking the kiss, she threw a leg over his lap and ended up straddling him. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush to him and the hardness in his trousers. She moaned into the kiss, his tongue doing delicious things as her core seemed to catch on fire. It was so much better. 

"Fitz?" she asked breathlessly when they stopped for air.

"Mmh Mmh," he mumbled against the skin of her neck.

"I meant to ask you something…" God, it was hard to focus with his lips doing that and his hands unbuttoning her blouse at the same time. "Would you like to go out with me someday?"

Fitz laughed and sat back to look her in the eyes. His hair was a mess, he was flushed and his eyes were sparkling with mischief and happiness. God, she was going to fall in love with him, wasn't she?

"How about staying in instead?"

Well obviously. She didn't think she'd be able to leave this apartment right now even if it was on fire. 

"For dinner I mean."

"Oh. I was hoping you'd want to show me how well you can use your hand now," she replied, taking his hand and placing it on her boob. His face went redder as he coughed. 

"You're going to be the death of me."

"What? Wasn't that the point of unbuttoning my shirt?" 

"Yes, it's just, I-I—"

Oh sweet, silly man. As long as he did it enthusiastically, she didn't mind if he wasn't comfortable saying the words.

"And I can't be the death of you and your savior at the same time."

He smiled softly.

"Maybe you'll kill me and then revive me." 

She pressed her lips to his. "I am really good at giving mouth to mouth," she whispered before rolling her eyes at herself. She couldn't believe she was using one of Hunter's lines and that it was actually working. Fitz chased her lips as his hand finally slid under her blouse and the other under the waistband of her slacks to grab her bum. A giggle escaped her. His project really was to get into her pants after all. 

"What is it?" Fitz asked, confused, and she arched into his hands before he started doubting himself.

"Nothing, I just remembered something my colleagues said earlier. They seemed to think my visit wasn't entirely professional."

Fitz grinned as he raised his eyebrows. "Do I want to know?"

She shook her head and kissed him again instead.

"Jemma," he mumbled against her lips. "Is it bad that i'm kind of glad I set the place on fire because I got to meet you?" 

She laughed. Oh, she really was going to fall for him.

"Wait. Can I say that to a fire investigator? Are you going to reopen the case?"

She just shook her head and pushed her blouse down her shoulders. He was adorable but there'd be more time for speaking later. His throat bobbed as he looked at her.

"Late dinner then?" 

"Perfect."

She wrapped her arms around his neck once more and he pulled her close with a groan. His voice, his incandescent touch and his infinite sweetness made her heart sing and her skin tingle all over. And that was a fire she had no intention of putting out anytime soon.


End file.
